Apparatus for turning rounds



April 5, 1966 R. F. SAYLOR APPARATUS FOR TURNING ROUNDS 2 SheetsSheet 1 Filed April 10, 1963 0 l l l I a INVENTOR.

ROBERT F.' SAYLOR Attorney April 5, 1966 R. F. SAYLOR APPARATUS FOR TURNING ROUNDS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 10 1965 INVENTOR.

AI forney United States Patent 3,243,987 APPARATUS FOR TURNING RQUNDS Robert F. Saylor, Conemaugh Township, Somerset County, Pa., assignor to United States Steel Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey Filed Apr. 11), 1963, Ser. No. 271,939 6 Claims. (Cl. 72-420) The present invention relates generally to materialhandling apparatus and, more particularly, to apparatus for turning and holding workpieces having substantially circular cross-sections.

In the production of round steel bars, the bars are usually straightened in a gag press prior to final inspection and shipment. During straightening each bar is advanced through the gag press until a cambered or otherwise distored section is located between the jaws of the press. Advancement of the bar is then stopped and the bar is turned about its longitudinal axis until the distorted section is properly positioned between the jaws for straightening. It is frequently necessary to turn the bar as much as 180 degrees about its axis before it is properly positioned for straightening. Prior to my invention this turning was usually done manually by one or two workmen using long strap-type wrenches. The steel bars were heavy since they extended up to feet in length and were as much as 10 inches in diameter so that the manual turning thereof constituted a cumbersome, unsafe and excessively time-consuming operation.

It is, accordingly, the principal object of my invention to provide a powered mechanical apparatus for turning and holding round bars.

It is another object of my invention to provide apparatus of the character described which may be used effect-ively in conjunction with a gag press.

These and other objects will become more apparent after referring to the following specification and attached drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a location diagram showing the use of two units of the invention in conjunction with a gag press;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the apparatus of the invention;

FIGURE 3 is a front elevational view:

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line IVIV of FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 5 is a side elevational View looking at the right side of FIGURE 3.

Referring for the present to FIGURE 1, there is shown diagrammatically a preferred arrangement of the apparatus of the invention when being used in conjunction with a gag press. FIGURE 1 shows two units of the turning apparatus of the invention, designated generally .by reference numeral 2, one disposed on either side of a gag press 4. In the processing of round steel bars W, before final inspection and shipment, each bar W is delivered from a loading bed 6 onto an entry roller conveyor table 8 and moved through the gag press 4 onto a delivery roller conveyor table 10. As each bar W moves through the gag press, the operator inspects it for any curvature or camber. When he discovers any such distortion, he stops the rolls of the conveyor table 8 and actuates the two units of the turning apparatus to grip the bar and turn it so as to properly position it for straightening in the press 4. The two units of the turning apparatus of the invention indicated in FIGURE 1 are identical and, therefore, only one will be described in detail.

Referring now to FIGURES 25, the turning apparatus 2 of the invention includes a horizontally disposed base in the form of a carriage 12 having wheels 14 which are mounted for movement along a trackway 16. Two pillow blocks 18 are mounted in spaced parallel relation Patented Apr. 5, 1956 "ice on the upper surface of carriage 12, and shafts 29 and 26' are journaled for rotation therein, as best shown in FIGURE 2. Arms 22 and 22', each of which is in the form of an elongated frame, are pivotally mounted at their lower ends on the shafts 20 and 20', respectively, between the pillow blocks 18. The arms 22 and 22 are opposed to each other and project upwardly from the base carriage 12, as best shown in FIGURE 3.

A hydraulic cylinder 26 having a piston rod 24 projecting therefrom is pivotally mounted on the carriage 12 adjacent each of the arms 22 and 22'. The arms are attached to respective piston rods 24 through suitable linkage connections. The cylinders 26 function to pivot the arms 22 and 22' toward and away from each other as will be more full explained hereinafter.

A sprocket wheel 28 is journaled in the upper end of each of the arms 22 and 22', and a sprocket wheel 30 is fixed on each of the shafts 20 and 26' for rotation therewith in the arm pivoted on the respective shaft. An endless link conveyor chain 32 is trained around the sprocket wheels 28 and 30 in each arm. As best shown in FIG- URE 3, the opposing edges 34 of the arms 22 and 22 are cut away so as to expose a portion of each of the chains 3-2. A guide plate assembly 36 is adjustably mounted on each of the arms 22 and 22' by means of bolts 39 so as to project from the cut away edge 34 thereof and support the exposed portion of the conveyor to maintain the tension thereof. The guide plate assemblies are adjusted by means of adjusting bolts and lock nuts 38.

As best shown in FIGURE 2, each of the shafts 2% and 2% projects beyond its respective pillow blocks 18. Shaft 2t is longer than shaft 20 and has a pair of spaced sprockets 40 and 42 fixed on one projecting end thereof. A sprocket 44 is fixed on one end of the shaft 26' aligned with sprocket 40. A gear motor 46 is disposed on the base carriage 12 adjacent pillow blocks '13 and serves to rotate the shaft 29 and 20 by means of endless chains 43 and 59. Chain 5% is trained around sprockets 4liand 44%, while chain 48 is trained around sprocket 42 and the sprocket of the motor shaft. The shaft 20 and 2t? drive the conveyor chains 32 on each of the arms 22 and 22' in opposite directions relative to each other, as shown by the arrows in FIGURE 3. As best shown in IGURE 5, a wire mesh screen guard 53 may be provided around the rearward side of each of the arms 22 and 22 for safety purposes.

In operation, when it is desired to grip and turn the bar W, the two cylinders 25 are actuated to project piston rods 24 and thereby cause the arms 22 and 22' to move toward each other to the position shown by broken lines in FIGURE 3. When the bar has been thus engaged, gear motor 46 is actuated to drive the conveyor chains and turn the bar to the position desired for straightening. Since the two conveyor chains 32 move in opposite directions, when the motor 46 is actuated the bar W can be rotated any amount or degree desired.

If the section of the bar W to be gripped between the arms 22 and 22' is cambered, the conveyor chain on one arm will contact the bar before the conveyor chain on the other arm so that the final position of contact and gripping will be off-center with respect to a vertical center line Y between the arms 22 and 22'. This is caused by the conveyor chain of one arm contacting the outermost part of the camber before the other conveyor chain contacts the bar. When this occurs, the carriage shifts on the traclcway 16 to one side or the other of the center line Y so that positive contact of both conveyor chains with the bar is achieved.

A contact plate 52 depends from the center of the underside of the carriage 12 to a point beneath the trackway 16. Two double-acting pneumatic cylinders 54 having free to shift in either direction along the trackway. After a turning operation, during which the carriage has shifted, the arms 22 and 22 are movedto open position by retraction of the piston rods 24." At the same time, the cylin ders 54 are put under pressure simultaneously .to project piston'rods 56 to their full length. When the piston rods are projected, the one in the direction in which the carriage has shifted engages the contact plate 52 and moves thercarriage until the plate 52 abuts the other projected the, apparatus of the invention as used for turning rounds V in conjunction with a gag press straightening operation, its operation is not restricted to such use and it may be used effectively for turningrounds for any purpose.

It will be'obvious that the apparatus of the invention 7 can be used to turn rounds in a wide range of sizes.

While one embodiment of my invention has been shown and'described, it will be apparentthat other adaptations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the following claims. 7 r

I claim:

1. Apparatus for turning rounds comprising a base, a

pair of opposed arms pivoted by one end to said base and projecting away from the surface thereof, means for pivoting said arms toward and away fromteach other, and

/ endless conveyor mounted on each of said arms for movesaid conveyors can engage and turn a round positioned between said arms when said arms are pivoted toward each other,

2. Apparatus for turning rounds as defined by claim 1 including an adjustable support surface on each of said arms underlying said portion of the conveyor to thereby maintain the tension of the conveyor.

3. Apparatus for turning rounds as defined by claim l' characterized by said base being mounted on a trackway for movement to and from a predetermined position along said trackway, and means for centering said base in said position. J i

4. Apparatus for turning rounds comprising a base, a

7 pair of shafts rotatably mounted on the surface of said base in juxtaposition, an elongated frame member pivotally mounted at one end on'each of said shafts and projecting away from the surface of said base in opposed relation to each other, a first sprocket wheel fixed on each of said shafts for rotation therewith in the frame member mounted on the shaft, power means connected with said shafits for rotating the same, a second sprocket wheel journaled in each of said frames in the free endthereof, an endless conveyor trained around the sprocket wheels in each of said frame members, power means for pivoting said frame members toward and from each other, said endless conveyors being adapted to engage and ,turn a round positioned between said'frame members'when said frame members are pivoted'toward'e-ach other'and" said endless conveyors are driven in opposite d'irections'relative to each other by said shafts, V

5. Apparatus as definedby claim 4 including an adjustable support surface on each of said frame members underlying the surface of the conveyor thereon which faces the conveyor on (theopposite frame member.

6. Apparatus for turning rounds as defined by claim 4 characterized by said base being mounted on a trackway for movement to and from a predetermined position along said trackway, and means for centering said base in said position.

Referencesflited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS' 2,669,364 2/1954 AIOIISOH 2141 2,761,548 2/1955 McBath Q 214340 2,894,450 7/1959 Steinitz 21434Q CHARLES w. LA H M, Primary Examiner, 

1. APPARATUS FOR TURNING ROUNDS COMPRISING A BASE, A PAIR OF OPPOSED ARMS PIVOTED BY ONE OF SAID BASE AND PROJECTING AWAY FROM THE SURFACE THEREOF, MEANS FOR PIVOTING SAID ARMS TOWARD AND AWAY FROM EACH OTHER, AND ENDLESS CONVEYOR MOUNTED ON EACH OF SAID ARMS FOR MOVEMENT LONGITUDINALLY THEREALONG, AND MEANS FOR DRIVING SAID CONVEYORS IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER, AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE OPPOSING SURFACES OF SAID CONVEYORS BEING SPACED FROM ITS RESPECTIVE ARM WHEREBY SAID CONVEYORS CAN ENGAGE AND TURN A ROUND POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID ARMS WHEN SAID ARMS ARE PIVOTED TOWARD EACH OTHER. 